Record Reviews

UMO / AALTONEN / BJORKENHEIM / HAARLA ~ THE SKY IS RUBY TUM 017 (Barcode: 6430015280175) ~ FINLAND ~ Big Band Jazz Recorded: 2006 Released: 2007 This is a superb album by Finnish Jazz guitarist / composer Raoul BjorkenheimFind albums by this artist, recorded with the brilliant UMO Jazz OrchestraFind albums by this artist conducted by Mikko HassinenFind albums by this artist, and featured guest soloist: legendary saxophonist Juhani AaltonenFind albums by this artist and pianist / harpist Iro HaarlaFind albums by this artist. The album presents six tracks, all of which are original compositions by Bjorkenheim. The music is a unique opportunity to hear a Big Band in a Free Jazz / Improvised Music milieu, making this one of the most fascinating albums in the UMO extensive recording legacy. The full power of the Big Band / Orchestra, exploding with many instrumentalists improvising Freely at the same time, is a truly enlightening experience, which appears here in its full glory. The leader, the guest soloist and all the Orchestra members are sublime instrumentalists, so the resulting music is truly deeply moving and breathtaking, for the entire duration. It might be somewhat surprising for the less experienced listeners, nothing that cannot be amended after a repeated and open-minded additional listening. Overall, this is a truly rare occasion to hear the great Finnish Jazz at its best, and now also in a highly unusual circumstances, which amalgamate Big Band / Orchestral Jazz and the Free Jazz / Improvised Music Jazz categories into an ecstatic eruption of energy, beauty and true Artistry!

Updated: 09/04/2026Posted: 09/04/2026

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EDWARD VESALA ~ LUMI ECM 1339 (Barcode: 602567431053) ~ FINLAND ~ Avant-Garde Jazz Recorded: 1986 Released: 2019 This is a reissue of the 3rd album as a leader on the ECMFind albums on this label label by Finnish Jazz drummer / composer / bandleader Edward VesalaFind albums by this artist, recorded by an ensemble comprising of eleven top Finnish musicians, including saxophonists Pentti LahtiFind albums by this artist and Tapani RinneFind albums by this artist, guitarist Raoul BjorkenheimFind albums by this artist and his wife harpist / keyboardist Iro HaarlaFind albums by this artist. The album presents nine tracks, eight of which were composed by Vesala and one was co-composed by him and Polish Jazz trumpeter Tomasz StankoFind albums by this artist, with whom he cooperated for many years. The music, although composed, is full of Avant-Garde elements, Free improvisation, all framed by remarkable close large ensemble work, kept tightly in check by Vesala’s ingenious drumming. Many different musical elements are amalgamated on this album, including Rock, Big Band licks and the Nordic melancholy, with the music floating between quiet meditative pieces and hard rocking crescendos. Vesala was of course one of the Godfathers of Finnish Jazz and his interest in Improvised Music marked the earliest exploration of that genre on the local scene already in the 1960s. He was always very open to cooperation with other European Jazz musicians and recorded many albums with European ensembles, especially with the a.m. Stanko and other Polish, German and British musicians, and as such was an early icon of European Jazz. Overall, this is a remarkable piece of Finnish / European Jazz, full of beautiful melodic lines and fascinating exploration of the Free idiom, which are perfectly balanced on this wonderful album. Wholeheartedly recommended for those young Jazz enthusiasts, who discovered Jazz after his tragically premature departure in 1999.

Updated: 15/06/2024Posted: 15/06/2024

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